ASP.NET authentication process

ASP.NET does not run by itself, it runs inside the process of IIS. So there are two authentication layers which exist in ASP.NET system. First authentication happens at the IIS level and then at the ASP.NET level depending on the WEB.CONFIG file.

Below is how the whole process works:

IIS first checks to make sure the incoming request comes from an IP address that is allowed access to the domain. If not it denies the request.

Next IIS performs its own user authentication if it is configured to do so. By default IIS allows anonymous access, so requests are automatically authenticated, but you can change this default on a per – application basis with in IIS.

If the request is passed to ASP.net with an authenticated user, ASP.net checks to see whether impersonation is enabled. If impersonation is enabled, ASP.net acts as though it were the authenticated user. If not ASP.net acts with its own configured account.

Finally the identity from step 3 is used to request resources from the operating system. If ASP.net authentication can obtain all the necessary resources it grants the users request otherwise it is denied. Resources can include much more than just the ASP.net page itself you can also use .Net’s code accesssecurity features to extend this authorization step to disk files, Registry keys and other resources.

Authentication and authorization:

This can be a tricky question. These two concepts seem altogether similar but there is wide range of difference. Authentication is verifying the identity of a user and authorization is process where we check does this identity have access rights to the system. In short we can say the following authentication is the process of obtaining some sort of credentialsfrom the users and using those credentials to verify the user’s identity. Authorization is the process of allowing an authenticated user access to resources. Authentication always proceed to Authorization; even if your application lets anonymous users connect and use the application, it still authenticates them as being anonymous.

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